Sophocles Electra 722

ed. Lewis Campbell

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σειραῖον ἵππον εἶργε τὸν προσκείμενον.

Electra. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.

Current edition Experimental

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 823-870 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 731 focus
Das nimmt Athens gewandter Zügellenker wahr;
715
Drum lenkt er auswärts, hemmt der Rosse Lauf, und läßt
Vorbei der Wagen Strudel, der die Bahn durchwogt.
Am lezten fuhr Orestes, der wohlkundig sein
Gespann zurückhielt, banend auf des Kampfes Schluß.
Als aber jener ihn allein noch übrig sah,
720
Da jagt' er, hell aufdröhnend traf sein Ruf das Ohr
Der schnellen Renner; Soch an Soch, in gleichem Schritt,
Flog hin das Paar, nun Einer, nun der Andere
Der Wagenrosse stolzes Haupt vorangestreckt.
Und aller andern Bahnen Lauf vollendete
725
Der Arme sonder Fährde, fest auf festem Siz:
Da ließ er nach den Zügel, als das linke Roß
Sich wendend umbog, und den Rand der Säule traf
Er unversehens; mitten brach die Nabe durch;
Er glitt vom Kranz des Wagens und verwirrte sich
730
Im langen Riemzeug; als er dann zu Boden sank,
Floh'n seine Nosse durch die Bahn in wilder Flucht.
Und wie das Volk den Jüngling so vom Wagensiz
Herabgestürzt sah, schrie es jammernd auf um ihn,
Der, solcher Thaten Meister, solches Leid erfuhr,
735
Am Boden bald hinschleifend, bald zum Himmel hoch
Die Füße kehrend, bis die Wagenführer selbst,
Kaum hemmend seiner Rosse Lauf, ablösten ihn,
Den so mit Blut bedeckten, daß kein Freund ihn mehr
Erkennen mochte, wenn er sah die Schmerzgestalt.
740
Die Glut verzehrt' ihn schleunig, und es bringen nun
In kleinem Erz des großen Körpers Aschenrest
Erles'ne Männer aus dem Phokervolk hieher,
Auf daß in seiner Väter Land ihm werd' ein Grab.
So hat sich das begeben, selbst in Worten schon
745
Betrübend, doch für Alle, die's mit angeseh'n,
Wie wir, der Uebel größtes, das mein Auge sah.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 823-870 focus

Commentary

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

721-722. mvp-comment-335-1 δεξιὸν .. προσκείμενον] 'And, letting go the trace-horse on the right, held in the one that was nearest to the inside of the course.' The two σειραῖοι ἵπποι, so called because not harnessed to the yoke but attached by traces right and left, were practically the leaders of the τέθριππον, or team; and their movements at the critical moment of turning the goal were of the greatest consequence. Cp. Eur. Iph. A. 221-4, τοὺς μὲν μέσους ζυγίους, | .. τοὺς δ᾽ ἔξω σειροφόρους, | ἀντήρεις καμπαῖσι δρόμων. They must be supposed to know their duty, and only to need a reminder from the charioteer, who holds each of them by a single rein (single, i.e. in his hand). The language of the present passage proves that the direction of the running was from right to left, and the δεξιός σειραῖος had consequently to describe a larger semicircle while the 'near' horse was making the turn. That the right hand horse may perform this movement successfully and thus swing the chariot round without mishap, the charioteer gives him the rein, and at the same time holds in the left-hand trace-horse, who, as nearest to the goal, is called προσκείμενος. As soon as this evolution is accomplished, however, the driver must slacken again the left-hand rein, so that both steeds may cover the θάτερον κῶλον of the race-course with equal strides. And if from over-eagerness he does this an instant too soon, he is obviously in great danger of striking the nave of the left-hand wheel against the goal, because the horse when let go will instinctively 'cut off a corner' and pull the car along a chord of the circle instead of completing the arc. This is what is supposed to happen to Orestes, infr. 743-5. (So Wecklein also explains.)

721-722. mvp-comment-335-2 δεξιὸν .. προσκείμενον] 'And, letting go the trace-horse on the right, held in the one that was nearest to the inside of the course.' The two σειραῖοι ἵπποι, so called because not harnessed to the yoke but attached by traces right and left, were practically the leaders of the τέθριππον, or team; and their movements at the critical moment of turning the goal were of the greatest consequence. Cp. Eur. Iph. A. 221-4, τοὺς μὲν μέσους ζυγίους, | .. τοὺς δ᾽ ἔξω σειροφόρους, | ἀντήρεις καμπαῖσι δρόμων. They must be supposed to know their duty, and only to need a reminder from the charioteer, who holds each of them by a single rein (single, i.e. in his hand). The language of the present passage proves that the direction of the running was from right to left, and the δεξιός σειραῖος had consequently to describe a larger semicircle while the 'near' horse was making the turn. That the right hand horse may perform this movement successfully and thus swing the chariot round without mishap, the charioteer gives him the rein, and at the same time holds in the left-hand trace-horse, who, as nearest to the goal, is called προσκείμενος. As soon as this evolution is accomplished, however, the driver must slacken again the left-hand rein, so that both steeds may cover the θάτερον κῶλον of the race-course with equal strides. And if from over-eagerness he does this an instant too soon, he is obviously in great danger of striking the nave of the left-hand wheel against the goal, because the horse when let go will instinctively 'cut off a corner' and pull the car along a chord of the circle instead of completing the arc. This is what is supposed to happen to Orestes, infr. 743-5. (So Wecklein also explains.)